Poverty ‘most significant threat’ to children

Public health director Susan Laidlaw.

Health leaders have warned poverty is “one of the most significant threats” to children and young people in Shetland.

Director of nursing and acute services Kathleen Carolan told today’s (Tuesday) health board meeting that child poverty would come under even greater focus next financial year.

She was responding to questions from SIC leader Emma Macdonald, who asked what NHS Shetland was doing alongside organisations to tackle poverty and its impact on families.

Mrs Carolan replied: “Colleagues in public health have been working very closely with the local authority and the wider partnership across Shetland to look at poverty in its totality.

“We’ve been focussing on how poverty impacts on children and families specifically.

“We have a meeting next week to review our joint plan and what our priorities will be for next year.

“We want to have a greater focus on poverty because we think that’s one of the most significant threats to children and young people in Shetland at the moment.”

Director of public health Susan Laidlaw highlighted training and collaborative working across teams to tackle the problem.

“The cost of living crisis for the whole population, but particularly in terms of children and child poverty is one of the priorities that we have,” she added.

Dr Laidlaw suggested presenting a report on child poverty to the board at its next meeting.